Narrative:

At FL195 climbing, we smelled sweet rolls being overcooked. Shortly thereafter, lead flight attendant came to cockpit. When she opened door, we noted an acrid odor. She advised smoke in galley and first class. We queried her regarding sweet rolls and she said it's not the ovens. We began an emergency descent to nearest airport, gwo. Declared emergency and accomplished an emergency landing with only emergency power on aircraft. Landing and rollout normal and after clearing runway ordered passenger to remain seated. Smoke had dissipated, but strong odor remained. Passenger deplaned via aft airstairs. Subsequent investigation found 2 things: slightly burned sweet rolls, and a fluorescent light located in vicinity of overhead bins right side first class adjacent to galley area. The bulb was found to have soot on one end and inspection of interior revealed the internal electric device was 'fried.' I hypothesize that the electric device failed and created high internal pressure causing the bulb to lose its hermetic seal. The resultant smoke was forced into cabin and space between cabin liner. Smoke reappeared in great quantity near ovens as a low pressure area is created around the galley/oven overhead vent. The offending bulb was replaced and normal operation of fluorescent lights restored. Items were MEL'ed for further inspection. The company maintains a 'crisis coordinator' for incidents such as these. This individual was on our flight and assisted with coordinating the needs of passenger and alerting different departments, FAA, etc.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SHORTED CABIN LIGHT BULB CREATES ENOUGH SMOKE AND FUMES TO FORCE THE FLC INTO A DIVERSION TO AN ALTERNATE ARPT. EMER DECLARED.

Narrative: AT FL195 CLBING, WE SMELLED SWEET ROLLS BEING OVERCOOKED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, LEAD FLT ATTENDANT CAME TO COCKPIT. WHEN SHE OPENED DOOR, WE NOTED AN ACRID ODOR. SHE ADVISED SMOKE IN GALLEY AND FIRST CLASS. WE QUERIED HER REGARDING SWEET ROLLS AND SHE SAID IT'S NOT THE OVENS. WE BEGAN AN EMER DSCNT TO NEAREST ARPT, GWO. DECLARED EMER AND ACCOMPLISHED AN EMER LNDG WITH ONLY EMER PWR ON ACFT. LNDG AND ROLLOUT NORMAL AND AFTER CLRING RWY ORDERED PAX TO REMAIN SEATED. SMOKE HAD DISSIPATED, BUT STRONG ODOR REMAINED. PAX DEPLANED VIA AFT AIRSTAIRS. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION FOUND 2 THINGS: SLIGHTLY BURNED SWEET ROLLS, AND A FLUORESCENT LIGHT LOCATED IN VICINITY OF OVERHEAD BINS R SIDE FIRST CLASS ADJACENT TO GALLEY AREA. THE BULB WAS FOUND TO HAVE SOOT ON ONE END AND INSPECTION OF INTERIOR REVEALED THE INTERNAL ELECTRIC DEVICE WAS 'FRIED.' I HYPOTHESIZE THAT THE ELECTRIC DEVICE FAILED AND CREATED HIGH INTERNAL PRESSURE CAUSING THE BULB TO LOSE ITS HERMETIC SEAL. THE RESULTANT SMOKE WAS FORCED INTO CABIN AND SPACE BTWN CABIN LINER. SMOKE REAPPEARED IN GREAT QUANTITY NEAR OVENS AS A LOW PRESSURE AREA IS CREATED AROUND THE GALLEY/OVEN OVERHEAD VENT. THE OFFENDING BULB WAS REPLACED AND NORMAL OP OF FLUORESCENT LIGHTS RESTORED. ITEMS WERE MEL'ED FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. THE COMPANY MAINTAINS A 'CRISIS COORDINATOR' FOR INCIDENTS SUCH AS THESE. THIS INDIVIDUAL WAS ON OUR FLT AND ASSISTED WITH COORDINATING THE NEEDS OF PAX AND ALERTING DIFFERENT DEPTS, FAA, ETC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.